Poster Title (Current Submission)

Presenter Information

Major(s)

Biology

Minor(s)

Spanish

Mentor Name

Chun-Fang Wu

Mentor Department

Biology

Presentation Date

3-22-2011

Abstract

Social behaviors are seen across the animal kingdom and their benefits have been documented in a variety of cases. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, short-lived mutants deficient for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD1) show a robust lifespan extension in response to co-housing with active, longer-lived flies. Furthermore, this effect depends upon sensory and motor behavioral cues. Here, we address the behavioral correlates of this social-interaction mediated lifespan extension in SOD1 flies using high-throughput behavioral analysis in a model system particularly amenable to genetic and molecular manipulation. Elucidating the behavioral components of this phenomenon may provide insight into the neurobiological mechanisms of ageing or disease, some of which can be extrapolated to humans. Indeed, human mutations in SOD1 have been implicated in ageing and a number of age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. With many molecular pathways shared between flies and humans it is possible similar networks mediate the beneficial effects of social interactions in humans.

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Social behaviors are seen across the animal kingdom and their benefits have been documented in a variety of cases. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, short-lived mutants deficient for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD1) show a robust lifespan extension in response to co-housing with active, longer-lived flies. Furthermore, this effect depends upon sensory and motor behavioral cues. Here, we address the behavioral correlates of this social-interaction mediated lifespan extension in SOD1 flies using high-throughput behavioral analysis in a model system particularly amenable to genetic and molecular manipulation. Elucidating the behavioral components of this phenomenon may provide insight into the neurobiological mechanisms of ageing or disease, some of which can be extrapolated to humans. Indeed, human mutations in SOD1 have been implicated in ageing and a number of age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. With many molecular pathways shared between flies and humans it is possible similar networks mediate the beneficial effects of social interactions in humans.